Posted by the Misanthropic Hostess.
Feb
27
Posted by the Misanthropic Hostess.
The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta and Nestle Florentine Cookies.
Let me tell you, as daring and fun as this adventure was, most of all, it was easy. A snap. Easy as pie. A piece of cake.
Let’s start with the panna cotta. Panna cotta is the result of what would happen if jello and pudding got together and had a love child. …
Feb
24
Posted by the Misanthropic Hostess.
I love this cookie recipe. Like, cookie monster style love it. It is so simple and elegant and universally delicious that I really, really wish I had invented it. But I didn’t. Pierre Herme did. And then Dorie Greenspan re-christened the recipe with its current namesake. For that, they both may very well deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. Or at least a nomination.
This cookie is effectively a chocolate sable. It is buttery, crumbly and very, very chocolatey. The best …
Feb
17
Posted by the Misanthropic Hostess.
Raise your hand if you have ever been on a date to C&O.
So, you too share the fellowship of the knot? That’s what I thought.
Like Dittie Reese and Saks, C&O is an institution to Los Angeles area college students and those who wish they still were. I suppose the food is okay. Pasta and lots of it. However, that isn’t what draws the crowds to this rowdy, no reservation restaurant just steps from the Venice Pier. Nope. It’s the free …
Feb
3
Posted by the Misanthropic Hostess.
Here is how this story begins:
TD: Can you make one of those chocolate cakes?
ME: Like what kind?
TD: The brown kind.
ME: Can you be more specific?
TD: That doesn’t have pink peppercorns. And is big with chocolate cake and chocolate filling and chocolate frosting.
ME: But no peppercorns?
TD: No peppercorns.
For my valentine? Anything. And so chocolate love cake was born.
The concept for this cake isn’t particularly unique or even fancy. You’ve seen this cake a hundred times. In fact, when you get down …
Feb
1
Posted by the Misanthropic Hostess.
Alas, I could not resist matching up deliciously gorgeous and in-season blood oranges with Valentine’s Day. If the name bothers you, you can do what my friend Cameron has done when attempting to get her kids to eat the blood oranges off of a tree in her yard. Just call them rainbow oranges. My rainbow orange valentine. That works too.
Blood oranges remind me of the trip we took to Italy a couple of springs ago. We spent some time in …